The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-25
ACCUSED OF MURDER BxA GHOST.
Important Discoveries in a Virginia Mystery
Made Through an Apparition.

From the St. Louis Globe Democrat
The death OF Lem Mercer, q farmer who
for many years had been o resident of Pleasant
county, West Virginia, his demise occurring
about ten days ago, has had the effect of reviv-
ing, in most decided manner, local interest in
most horrible murder, which, some thirty
five years ago,produced a tremendous sensation
all along the upper Ohio valley, from Wheel
ing to Parkersburg, distance of nearly one
hundred miles
The crime in question was committed in
Wetzel county and the victim was John Gam
bic, q prosperous citizen, who resided with his
family few miles from the town of New Mar
tnSville, then as now, the county seat Gam
bic was of a speculative turn of mind and fire.
quently visited New Martinsville to dispose of
livestock or whatever else he had to realize
upon. AT such times, aftertinding customer
Gamble would have several hundred dollars in
his possession, and there were frequent pre-
dictions, fran the careless manner in which he
displayed his money when under the influence
of liquor. that some day there would be
tragedy and that he would be the victim.
One day late in the summer of 1858 Gamble,
who lived on the river shore almost directly
opposite the little town of Sardis came up to
New MartinSYille with some portable property
OF some sort or other, which he disposed of,
realizing therefrom about $500. Mercer was
III town that day, and the two men, being
well known to each other, soon got to drinking
together. Toward dark Gamble concluded
that he would start for home, and as
MERGERS route also lay along the river
for a mile or so before he turned off
to go through the hills, he told Gamble he
would accompany him thus far on his Journey.
The two men took one more drink together
and then started off along the river road,
Gamble being moro under the influence of
liquor than his companion. Gamble was never
seen alive afterward. He not arriving at his
home that night his family and friends tho
next day caused an extended search to be
made, but all to no purpose No trace of the
missing man could be found. Mercer was
questioned, but he insisted that he left his
companion at the point their paths diverged
and that he had no knowledge whatever of his
fate.
Thus matters rested for a week or two, when
the body of the missing man was found lodged
against some rocks in the channel of the river
twenty miles or more below the point where
Mercer claimed to have left him. No one
could account for his death, and it was urged
by some that, being intoxicated, he had simply
fallen over the precipitous bank of the stream
and that death by drowning had resulted
Others, however, insisted that q crime had
been committed, basng their claim mainly
upon the fact that the remains were partially
disrobed and had been stripped of everything
of value.
Thus matters went on for two or three
months when events of rather unusual and
sensational nature TRANSFERRED. A party of
young men i'll returning from corn Smelling
bee came to the brow of the immese hill which
called. The hillside was very steep, and as
there were two paths leading down to the
river bottom, one direct but difficult and dan
gerous, and the other, while % little longer
comparatively easy, q dispute arose as to which
should be taken The dispute waxed- warm
and finally the party separated into two rival
factions, each agreeing to take one of the
routes, and a wager being made. conditioned
that the party last arriving on the court house
square should buy gallon of whisky.
The marty which took thp lon upst Int lnce
precipitous route came out on the river bottom
about mile below the town, and Just south of
the location OF swampy piece of land. The
owner of this land had cut deep ditch through
the high bank of the river to drain the hollow
behind, and the depression thus formed had
assumed the shape of u small ravine, full of
brush and small trees. A path ran along the
river bank, parallel with the stream, and
thus crossed this ravine at right angles,
| This path was the one taken by Mercer
and Gamble on tho night when the
latter met his death, and the spot about the
little ravine was an extremely lonely one at the
! hour when the belated party of corn-huskers
| arrived upon the scene. The young men had
been travelling ut their utmost speed to avoid
| having to buy jug Of whisky, and by the
| time they came to the ravine one OF their num-
| Der, John Hineman who was the proprietor of
u tavern and saloon in town, was so badly
blown that he could no longer keep up He
told his companions not to risk losing the wager
on his account but to hurry on to the appoint
ed rendezvous and thus win the bet, and he
would follow after he had become rested bit
and help to drain the jug the others would
have to fill
Hineman sat down upon the edge of tho lit
tie ravine to rest, and the remainder of the
party hurried on to town. They had barely
got beyond hearing when Hineman was star
tied by slight noise behind him, and ON look
ing around he was Mortified at seeing tall
figure, ROBBED from neck to heels in white
standing within few feet of him. The
frightened man managed to call out, "Who's
there ?" to which muffled voice made an
swer that it was the spirit of John Gamble
who had been murdered close by. Hineman
managed to screw up courage enough to ask
who committed the crime, when the fspirit'
replied: Lem Mercer" The whitehead
figure then stole slowly and softly away. and
Hmeman lost no time in getting upon his legs
and hurrymg to town. He made his appear
ance on the public square more dead than
alive but after pull or two at the jug man
aged to relate to his companions what had oc-
CURED. The next morning party visited the
ravine, and after n thorough search of the To-
cality, succeeded in discovering some articles
which were recognized as belonging to the
murdered man.